History Shows That Experience Counts ....

One of the things I have heard on a consistent basis on the campaign trail, whether it is in person, by email, comments left on my blogs, etc. is that people are very angry about the fiscal train wreck our federal government has created.

The anger is such that people’s trust in government is at its lowest level since polling on this issue began back in 1958  http://www.people-press.org/2010/04/18/public-trust-in-government-1958-2010/.

One of the reasons for this distrust is that people believe government does not do what they say they will do.  This is particularly true when it comes to money. 

How many times have we heard politicians promise that they are going to “cut taxes, cut spending and balance the budget”?  It is almost a guarantee that every four years you will hear that and yet since 1970 we have balanced the budget only four times (1998-2001).  Our federal debt has increased from just under $1T in 1980 to almost $16T today with no end in sight http://www.usgovernmentdebt.us/.  No wonder people are angry and don’t believe politicians in Washington. 

Now that we are a city, one of the things paramount on people’s mind locally, in regards to the new government, is the challenge of making sure our new city council will be more responsible with our new city’s money than the federal government is with the money we send to Washington DC.

So, what is the solution to the challenge?  The solution is to select a city council that will have members who have a strong business background.  We will need people who are comfortable with budgets, forecasts, cost-benefit analysis, making hard decisions about what stays and what goes. 

How do we know choosing these type people would benefit the city financially?  Let’s go back and examine the situation in Washington DC.  I noted earlier that our federal deficit has increased from $1T to $16T since 1980.  We currently are running ANNUAL deficits of more than $1T and there is no end in sight!! 

Who are we sending to Washington DC to make these types of choices for us?  A recent article http://thehill.com/homenews/news/177897-report-three-fourths-of-congress-has-no-education-in-business-economics in The Hill, a Washington DC newspaper that focuses on issues dealing with Congress, recently reported that 80% of Congress has no business background!  80%!!  The report noted that 55% of Congress had a background in the Law, Humanities or Government. 

So, based on the unfolding disaster in Washington DC, logic would dictate that picking government leadership that is light on business experience is a recipe for disaster when it comes to actually running a fiscally tight ship.

As your councilman, what could I offer you in terms of a business background?

-          Bachelor of Science in Management from Georgia Tech with a concentration in Accounting

-          Masters of Business Administration from Wake Forest with a concentration in Finance

-          Nearly 13 years experience in Corporate Finance working for companies such as GlaxoSmithKline, Equifax, Home Depot and my current employer Biolab

-          Creating and managing budgets ranging in size from $50M to as large as $30B

-          Experience conducting cost-benefit analysis on projects that often can determine the long term financial viability of a company

-          Experience creating financial models that are used to maximize profit, increase sales and reduce cost

-          Leading teams of top notch financial analysts in high stress environments that require excellent discernment, insight, patience and judgment

I have real world experience dealing with the nuts and bolts of ensuring companies get maximum value for their investment.  The taxpayers of Peachtree Corners should expect no less from their City Council.  The taxpayers are the stockholders of the city of Peachtree Corners and it will be the City Council’s job to ensure the taxpayers get maximum value for their investment. 

Ensure our new city gets off to the right start.  Don’t repeat the mistakes we have made by selecting a Congress with very little business experience.  Pick a City Council that has the business background to ensure our future success.  I do not need any on the job training to ensure you get value for your investment.  I can bring that to you Day One. 

I hope you will consider me for your District 3 Councilman on March 6th.

Please review my background and positions on the issues at www.wright4pccouncil.com